50th Precinct catches both toddlers and criminals

1959

Crime time

The 50th Precinct was kept busy throughout 1959, with multiple car accidents, burglaries, robberies and even a dramatic rescue. In October 1959, then 2-and-a-half-year-old Frank Feeney was injured when he snuck onto the fire escape outside his second-floor apartment on West 238th Street, unbeknownst to his parents. Police Officer Winston Gumbs noticed the child dangling from the railing and rushed to get help. He sent grocer Charles Dankers up the fire escape, but before Mr. Dankers could reach the second floor, the boy slipped, bouncing onto the firstfloor fire escape before tumbling again and into Officer Gumb's outstretched arms.

In another incident, a tiny Volkswagen driven by three underage fugitives led police officers on a merry chase. The trouble began when an offduty police officer spotted the three youths and noticed that none of them appeared to be old enough to drive. The officer followed them on foot until he saw two other officers in a patrol car and told them to pursue the kids. The chase took them on a 75 mph race down the Major Deegan Expressway.

It was brought to a conclusion when one of the officers leaned out of the prowler's window and fired three shots at the fleeing Volkswagen's tires. The third bullet was the charm, bursting a tire and bringing the suspects to a halt.